US-Iran talks show signs of progress even as Trump weighs renewed strikes
Officials tell Times of Israel that Iran is reviewing proposals that would see it curb its nuclear program; Fox reports the military told Trump it favors conditions on November 9 for new attack
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The US and Iran are potentially moving toward a breakthrough in efforts to reach an agreement that would end the largely suspended war between them, Bloomberg reported Friday, citing a diplomat with knowledge of the discussions.
A breakthrough appeared more likely because Iran was willing to examine Qatari proposals for previously off-limits concessions on its nuclear program, according to the report.
The report came after US President Donald Trump and Qatar’s Emir Tamim Al-Thani spoke by phone about efforts to de-escalate tensions, according to Al-Thani’s office.
Qatar has been mediating indirect talks aimed at ending the months-long conflict. The agreement under discussion in recent days has centered on Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for US sanctions relief, followed by broader negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program, a diplomat familiar with the talks previously told The Times of Israel.
Iranian negotiators were reviewing proposals that would see Tehran curb its nuclear program after long insisting it would not even discuss the issue at the heart of the conflict, a US official and a diplomat familiar with the matter confirmed to the Times of Israel on Friday.
The proposals were presented by Qatari mediators during several rounds of talks with Iranian officials in Tehran and Doha over the previous week. They stopped short of demanding the complete dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear program, but addressed its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and would offer significant US sanctions relief in return.
However, Iran was not satisfied with “paper commitments” and needed to see practical US steps before the launch of any new diplomatic efforts, Ali Bagheri, the deputy head of Iran’s top security body, told Iranian state television Friday.
Iran sent the United States a nuclear proposal via Qatar to be discussed only after Washington met its seven demands, a senior Iranian official told Reuters, adding that Washington is reviewing the proposal.
Iran also pursued parallel diplomacy elsewhere on Thursday. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi discussed regional de-escalation efforts with his Saudi and Qatari counterparts, while Supreme National Security Council chief Mohsen Rezaei met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow and delivered a message from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, according to Iranian state media.
Still, not everyone viewed the reported diplomatic movement as a breakthrough.
“Talking is not necessarily conceding,” Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran, told The Times of Israel.
“The Iranian regime has been discussing its nuclear program with the US for decades,” he continued. “That’s really not a breakthrough. Eager mediators are trying to paint a rosy picture of progress in talks to stall and delay the US from escalation.”
“I would urge skepticism and caution,” he added.
Washington weighs renewed strikes
Despite reports on diplomatic discussions, Trump had discussed the possibility of renewing strikes on Iran with his national security team at the White House on Thursday, senior officials told Fox News.
November 9, the start of a new moon in the Middle East, marks preferred conditions for the military to resume operations due to the cover of darkness, the officials said.
The United States and Israel launched the war against Iran on February 28 in an effort to destroy Tehran’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs and destabilize the regime. Iran responded with strikes on Israel and surrounding Arab states and by restricting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting a major global oil route.
The US carried out limited defensive strikes on Iranian targets on Qeshm Island on November 3, though officials said the action did not mark a return to major combat operations.
Tanker reports explosion in Strait of Hormuz
Meanwhile, violence continued in Hormuz.
The master of a tanker crossing the Strait of Hormuz reported an explosion at the vessel’s port-side waterline, 16 nautical miles east of Oman’s Khasab, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said.
The tanker remains under its own power and is continuing its voyage, UKMTO said, adding that all crew are safe and accounted for.
The Strait of Hormuz has become a central bargaining chip in efforts to end the conflict. Iran has sought relief from the US blockade and sanctions, while Washington has pushed for the restoration of freedom of navigation through the waterway, which carries a significant share of global oil shipments.
The Times of Israel Community.